PRB: Stored Procedure with Text (BLOB) Input Returns Null Output (178445)



The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Visual Basic Enterprise Edition for Windows 5.0
  • Microsoft Visual Basic Enterprise Edition for Windows 6.0

This article was previously published under Q178445

SYMPTOMS

When a stored procedure has a input text parameter (known as BLOB, Binary Large Object), all the output parameters get set to Null by the SQL Server on the way back to the client.

CAUSE

This is a known issue with SQL Server driver.

RESOLUTION

Instead of using output parameters, prepare the returned information in a resultset.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a bug in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article.

MORE INFORMATION

Besides steps to reproduce the behavior, the following sample code provides a workaround by returning to the Visual Basic client the identity column of the newly-created record as a resultset. Test table and stored procedures are created in Pubs database.

Command1 inserts a new record to table, BLOBTest, by passing the contents in Text1 as an input parameter to the stored procedure, InputBLOBTest, and returns the Identity column as an output parameter. The return value is shown in the debug window as Null. Command2 provides a workaround by executing a modified version of the original stored procedure, which passes back the identity column in a resultset.
  1. Start a new project in Visual Basic and choose "Standard EXE." Form1 is created by default.
  2. From the Project menu, select References, and then place a check next to Microsoft Remote Data Object 2.0.
  3. Add 2 CommandButtons, Command1 and Command2, to Form1.
  4. Add a TextBox, Text1, to Form1.
  5. Paste the following code in the General Declarations section of Form1:
       Dim cn As New rdoConnection
    
       Private Sub Command1_Click()
          Dim qy As New rdoQuery
          With qy
             Set .ActiveConnection = cn
             .SQL = "{? = CALL InputBLOBTest(?, ?, ?) }"
          End With
          qy(0).Direction = rdParamReturnValue
          qy(1).Direction = rdParamInput
          qy(2).Direction = rdParamInput
          qy(3).Direction = rdParamOutput
          qy(1) = Now
          qy(2) = Text1.Text
          qy.Execute
          Debug.Print qy(3)
       End Sub
    
       Private Sub Command2_Click()
          Dim strSQL As String
          Dim rs As rdoResultset
    
          strSQL = "{CALL InputBLOBTest2('" & Now & "','" & Text1.Text & "')}"
          Set rs = cn.OpenResultset(strSQL)
          Debug.Print rs(0)
       End Sub
    
       Private Sub Form_Load()
    
          Dim strSQL As String
    
          cn.CursorDriver = rdUseOdbc
          cn.Connect = "Driver={SQL server};" _
            &  "Server=MyServer;Database=Pubs;Uid=<username>;Pwd=<strong password>"
          cn.EstablishConnection rdDriverNoPrompt
    
          On Error Resume Next
          strSQL = "DROP TABLE dbo.BLOBTest"
          cn.Execute strSQL, rdExecDirect
          On Error GoTo 0
    
          strSQL = "CREATE TABLE dbo.BLOBTest "
          strSQL = strSQL & "(ID int IDENTITY NOT NULL PRIMARY KEY, "
          strSQL = strSQL & "WhenEntered Varchar(30), Comment TEXT)"
          cn.Execute strSQL, rdExecDirect
    
          On Error Resume Next
          strSQL = "DROP PROCEDURE dbo.InputBLOBTest"
          cn.Execute strSQL, rdExecDirect
          On Error GoTo 0
    
          strSQL = "CREATE PROCEDURE dbo.InputBLOBTest "
          strSQL = strSQL & "@WhenEntered Varchar(30), _
          @Comment TEXT, @id Int OUTPUT
          strSQL = strSQL & "AS Insert Into BLOBTest(WhenEntered, Comment) "
          strSQL = strSQL & "Values(@WhenEntered, @Comment) "
          strSQL = strSQL & "Select @id=@@Identity"
          cn.Execute strSQL, rdExecDirect
    
          On Error Resume Next
          strSQL = "DROP PROCEDURE dbo.InputBLOBTest2"
          cn.Execute strSQL, rdExecDirect
          On Error GoTo 0
    
          strSQL = "CREATE PROCEDURE dbo.InputBLOBTest2 "
          strSQL = strSQL & "@WhenEntered Varchar(30), @Comment TEXT "
          strSQL = strSQL & "AS Insert Into BLOBTest(WhenEntered, Comment) "
          strSQL = strSQL & "Values(@WhenEntered, @Comment) "
          strSQL = strSQL & "Select @@Identity"
          cn.Execute strSQL, rdExecDirect
    
          Command1.Caption = Command1.Caption & "(Repro)"
          Command2.Caption = Command2.Caption & "(Workaround)"
    
       End Sub
    
       Private Sub Form_Unload(Cancel As Integer)
          cn.Close
       End Sub
    
    						
  6. Note that you should change your Server, Uid, and Pwd parameters in the RDO connection string. Make sure that UID has the appropriate permissions to perform this operation on the database.
  7. Start the program or press the F5 key. Look at immediate window for output.
(c) Microsoft Corporation 1997. All Rights Reserved.
Contributions by Adrian Chiang, Microsoft Corporation

Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:11/7/2003
Keywords:kbprb KB178445